The San Francisco 49ers are deeply saddened by the passing of former defensive end, coach and scout Tommy Hart.
Originally drafted by the 49ers in the 10th round (261st overall) of the 1968 NFL Draft, Hart played 13 seasons in the NFL, 10 of which were spent with the 49ers (1968-77). Hart also spent time with the Chicago Bears (1978-79) and New Orleans Saints (1980). During his playing career, Hart appeared in 177 games (140 starts) and registered 83.0 sacks, eight fumble recoveries with two returned for touchdowns and two interceptions. He also appeared in 17 postseason contests (14 starts) and recorded one fumble recovery and a 0.5 sack. In 1976, Hart, who was a member of the defensive line known as "The Gold Rush" received Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro honors and was named to the 1977 Pro Bowl after registering 16.0 sacks and one fumble recovery. Hart was also a two-time recipient (1972 & 1976) of the prestigious Len Eshmont Award, selected by his teammates for his inspirational and courageous play.
Born in Macon, GA, Hart attended Morris Brown College (1964-68), a historically Black college, where he played all four seasons at offensive guard/tackle and defensive tackle. He earned Second-Team NAIA All-America honors in 1968 and All-Conference honors for three-consecutive seasons. In 1993, Hart was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Following his retirement from the NFL, Hart returned to the 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach (1983-91), where he contributed to three of the team's Super Bowl championships (XIX, XXIII and XXIV). He also spent two years (1992-93) as a scout for the team before joining the Dallas Cowboys as a defensive line coach (1996-97) and area scout (1998-2005).
